The Impressionist Realism of Eça de Queiroz: A Proposal for Reading A cidade e as serras

Abstract

In this article, we intend to point to an impressionist sort of Realism in the novel A cidade e as serras by Eça de Queiroz. The goal is to investigate how the author applies visual and sensorial descriptions in order to capture the transitioning beauty of nature and to integrate these resources to the social critique characteristic of his literature. The methodology combines literary analysis with diverse artistic modalities, comparing passages from the novel to some principles of pictorial Impressionism, mainly the paintings of Claude Monet. The analysis is supported by theoretical references which include the studies of Antonio Candido concerning the relationship between literature and society as well as literary (Gibbs, 1952) and visual (Elias, 2012) impressionist approaches. The justification for this study lies upon the singularity of A cidade e as serras, considering Eça de Queiroz’s entire work, mainly for the way he balances a visual lyricism with a critical and dialectical perspective.

Keywords:
Eça de Queiroz; A cidade e as serras; Realism; Impressionism